Automatic differential gauge



June 3, 1924. 1,496,144

-D. F. YOUNGBLOOD AUTOMATIC DIFFERENTIAL GAUGE Filed Ju'ne 14, 1923 z sheds-sheet 1 ATTORNEY- .Fume 3 924. 1,496,144

D. F. YOUNGBLOOD AUTOMAT I C DI FFRENT IAL GAUGE Filed June 14, 1923 2 SheeLS-Shee 2 WITN ESSES ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1924.

DAVID FRANKLIN YOUNGBLOOD, OFl SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC DIFFERENTIAL GAUGE.

Application filediune 14, 1923. Serial 11o. 645,404.'

To all whom 't may concern:

Be it known that I, Devin F. YoUNeBLooD, a'citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Automatic Differential Gauge, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic differential gauge, which is adapted to be used in connection with a receptacle for con taining iuids of a volatile or gaseous nature, such as tanks which are used for re ceiving and storing petroleum and the derivatives thereof.

The invention includes a liquid seal, which is adapted to form the only communication between the contents of the tank. and the outside atmosphere, and is responsive to out side or inside pressure of a predetermined amounty to prevent the pressure becoming great enough to cause possible injury to the tank.

The' present invention is in the nature of an improvement upon the structure disclosed -in my (zo-pending application, Serial Number 629,653, filed April 3, 1923.

One of the objects of the present invention is to modify the structure, shown in the aforesaid application, so that the same may be installed within the tank without any modification in thestructure of the tank, as `shown and described herein. The entire t gauge is secured to and supported from the underside of the man hole cover of the tank.

It is alsoV an object of the invention to provide a gauge and seal of this type in which the amount of pressure to which the gauge is responsive may be easily adjusted,

and in which there will be no tendency for the liquid. forming the seal to blow out of ythe gauge when air or gas passes through thesame. Since the liquid is thus prevented from blowing out of the gauge, the latter when once adjusted for a given pressure remains in this condition without requiring any further attention.

The invention will be best understood from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the preferred structure thereof.`

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of'an oil tank,

with aportion cut away to show therelaif@ tion of the invention thereto.

Figure2 is a vertical. longitudinal-- secs tion of the inventiononan enlargedscale.

Figure 3V is a longitudinal Isectionthrough the automatic. filler.

Figures 4 and 5 are similar tok Figure 2, but show different modifications of the invention.

Figure 6 is a sectional View onthef-line 6-6 of Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a sectional Viewy on the line 7 7 of Figure 5.

The invention is. shown in. Figure. 1 as applied to an oil tank 10, having a roof 11 in the center of. which isr a turret 12 sufficiently large to constitutefa man holeand provided with a man hole cover 13, to they i underside of which the automatic gauge is secured. It will be understoodthat the tank is built up with air-tight seams, and normally the automatic gaugey provides. the only communication between the interior of the:

tank and the outside atmosphere.

As illustrated in Figure 2, the manhole cover 13 is provided with a comparatively small opening 14, which is preferably covered by a screen 15 secured thereto by an.y annular flange 16. The gauge, which forms a liquid seal, is U-shaped,and inthe form shown in Figure 2, the legs 17 and 18 are connected by a nipple 19 and provided.l with clean-out openings, which are closed byplugs 20. The legs 17 and 18, which areI usually about two inches in diameter, are connected at their upper ends with the small ends of the reducers 21 and 22, which serve to connect them to enlarged pipe sections 23 and. 24. One of these sections, as 23, is a little longer than the other, and a flange `25 aty its upper extremity serves to secure thevgauge to the underside of the man hole cover 13, with the upper end of the pipe section 24` spaced from the cover. When the gauge is partially filled with liquid, it forms an airtight seal which, however, will be responsive to a predetermined pressure, depending upon the amount of liquid therein, toy permit. the pressure to be relieved, and thereby prevent injury to the tank. The enlarged sec tions 23 and 24 serve to receive the overiiow from the liquid seal, and to permit. kair or gas to be blown therethrough to relieve the pressure without the possibility of any of the liquid escaping from the gauge.

One of the legs of the gauge, preferably the inner leg 18., isprovided near its upper end with a comparatively small threaded opening 26, in which is threaded a street L 27, and a section of small pipe 28 is threaded into the outer end of the L to provide an automatic liller. The angle between the section 28 and the leg 18 may be adjusted by partially rotating the L 27, and the outer end of the section 28, which is open, may be adjusted between a horizontal position, shown in dotted lines in Figure 1, and the full line position, in which the outer end coincides with the maximum level of the liquid seal, and thereby determine the amount of pressure which will be necessary to break the same.

In the modilication illustrated in Figure Li, the gauge is formed from an integral U- shaped pipe 29 having a clean-out plug 30 at its lower end, and having also the overliow chambers 31 and 32 integrally connected to the legs and also to each other, as shown at 33. In this ligure also the upper ends of the chambers 31 and 32 have reduced mouths 34 and 35 to prevent the possibility of the liquid spattering from the chambers when the seal blows. The mouth 35, in this form, is provided of the same diameter as the opening 14, and is-secured to the cover 13 by a nipple 36 and flange 37, which is bolted to the iiange 16.

In the form shown in Figure 5, the overflow chambers 31a and 32a are integrally joined together at 33, but the lower part of the gauge is separable in the manner shown in Figure 2.

In the three forms of the invention.y the invention may be said to comprise an approximately U-shaped tubular member formed of two connected legs suspended 'from the inside of the top or cover of the receptacle by one leg, with the free upper end of the other leg open and spaced from the top or cover of the receptacle, said pipe being shaped so as to provide a liquid seal.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the in\fention provides a very simple means for attaching the automat-ic gauge to a tank or other receptacle without modi- "tying the structure of the latter, and that very simple means are provided for adjustA ing the pressure at which the seal will bc broken to prevent injury to the receptacle. Various ways are shown of constructing the liquid seal, as well as the chambers connected therewith, but they all embody the samc principles in that they provide for retaining the seal at all times in its normal operative condition without permitting the liquid to escape therefrom, and they also provide means 'for easily cleaning the same.

It is to be understood that the various modifications are merely illustrative, and that otherl modifications may be devised in the shape, size and general arrangement of the parts, as long as such modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the claims.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a receptacle, of a pipe suspended hom the inside of the top of the receptacle and forming the only communication between the interiorl oi the receptacle and the outside atmosphere, said pipe being so shaped as to provide a liquid seal.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of a pipe suspended entirely within 'the same forming the only communication between the interior of the receptacle and the outside atmosphere7 said pipe being shaped so as to form a liquid seal, and a comparatively small branch pipe connected with the liquid seal and constituting an automatic filler, said pipe being angularly adjustable to control the amount ot liquid retained in said seal, and consequently the amount of pressure under which the seal will be broken.

3. The combination with a receptacle having a. man hole cover, of a U-shaped tubular member suspended by one leg from the underside of t-he cover, the free end of 'the inner edge being spaced from the cover, said member forming the only communication between the interior of the receptacle and the outside atmosphere, and being normally sealed by liquid.

et, The combination with a receptacle having a man hole cover, of a U-shaped tubular member suspended by one leg from the underside of said cover and adapted to 'form a liquid seal, the free endof the inner leg being spaced from the cover, and a comf paratively small branch pipe tapped into the inner leg and providing means for automatically filling the seal when-the liquid in the receptacle reaches a predetermined level, said branch being angularly adjustable with respect to said inner leg.

5. The combination with a receptacle, of a U-shaped tubular member suspended within the receptacle and providing a liquid seal between the interior of the receptacle and the outside atmosphere. the legs oiE said member being enlarged above the level of the seal to form chambers 'tor receiving and retaining the liquid blown out when the pressure exceeds the resistance ofthe seal.

(i. The combination with receptacle, of a U-shaped tubular member suspended within the receptacle and adapted to form a liquid seal therefor` a comparatively small branch pipe connected with the liquid seal and constituting an automatic filler, the legs of said U-sliaped member being enlarged between the level of the seal land the ends of the member for receiving and retaining the liquid blown out when the pressure eX- ceeds the resistance of the seal.

7. The combination with a receptacle having a man hole cover, of a U-shaped tubular member suspended by one leg from the underside oit' the cover and adapted to form a liquid seal, the free end of the inner leg, being spaced from the cover, the legs of said member being enlarged above the level of the seal to form chambers for receiving and retaining the liquid blown out when the pressure exceeds the resist-ance of the seal,

S. The combination with a receptacle having a man hole cover, of a U-shaped tubular member suspended by one leg from the underside of the cover and adapted to form a liquid seal, the free end of the inner leg being spaced from the cover, and a clomparatively small branch pipe tapped into one leg and providing means for automatically7 iilling the seal when the liquid in the receptacle reaches a predetermined level, said branch pipe being angularly adjustable, the legs of said U-shaped member being enlarged between the normal level of the seal and the ends of the pipe to form chambers for receiving and retaining the liquid blown out when the pressure exceeds the resistance of the seal.

9. A liquid seal for receptacles, comprising a U-shaped tubular member having its legs enlarged above the normal liquid level.

to form chambers for receiving and retaining the liquid blown out when the pressure exceeds the resistance of the seal.

l0. A liquid seal for receptacles, comprising a U-shaped tubular member, havin@ its legs enlarged above the normal liquid level to form chambers for receiving and retaining the liquid blown out when the pressure exceed-s the resistance of the seal, and a co-mparatively small branch pipe tapped into one leg and angularly adjustable to vary the liquid level of the .seal and the consequent pressure at which the seal blows.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aiixed my signature.

DAVID FRANKLIN YOUNGBLOOD. 

